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Miami lands #1 spot – Fattest city in America
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For the last decade “Men’s Fitness Magazine” has analyzed tons of data to determine which cities in America are most in need of a fitness fix. January 2009 found Miami in the not so enviable #1 spot. Seems not enough south Floridian’s are following the South Beach Diet or any other sensible diet plan.
Miami was followed by (2) Oklahoma City, (3) San Antonio, (4) Las Vegas and (5) New York. Jacksonville fell not much farther down the list at #7, making Florida the only state with 2 cities in the top 10. In spite of the fact that south Floridians enjoy nearly year round good weather and Miami is a city with plenty of jogging paths and bike routes, Men’s Fitness gleaned from their research that resident’s are 35 percent less inclined to be out using them.
Another offender is the higher than average number of ice cream shops in Miami, 41 per cent higher than the rest of the nation. It is easy to understand how much more likely a Miami resident might be to cool down with a Ben & Jerry’s in December but it is not without paying the price in pounds.
There is also data to support the fact that economics plays a role in the fatting of the city. According to an article in USA Today earlier this year, some of Miami’s lower economic population is more apt to price shop at the grocery store and wind up with a cart full of less than healthy food choices.
“Make life a little easier” rings true as another culprit. The number of fast food choices in Miami exceeds the national average by 34 percent.
Beating the battle of the bulge does take some planning and perhaps a bit more preparation than ripping open a bag of chips or heading for the nearest drive through window.
With 6 months left to get off next years “Top 10” list here are a few “quick and easy” and “smart spending” tips.
1. Make better choices. Soda, juice and other sugary drinks add little if any nutritional value to diet. Buy only water. Also, you can wind up throwing a lot of money away on condiments and sauces. Look for creative ways to add flavor to dishes such as spices and food combinations that will help stretch your food dollars.
2. Find the farmers market near you. You may spend a little more time cleaning. Try trimming and storing some fruits and vegetable in the fridge to have handy. You will have quick and easy snacks available to help resist grabbing burgers and fries at the fast food stand.
3. Plan meals ahead of time and make a shopping list to buy the food you need. Planning will avoid haphazard spending and buying foods you may not get around to using before they go bad.
4. Clip coupons. Get organized and look for coupons on the internet, in mailers or in-store flyers. Only use coupons that make sense, not to purchase items you would not normally buy.
5. Grow your own. Zucchini and tomatoes are two easy grow choices to grow in a home garden.
6. Cut down on processed foods. Replace chips and cookies with baby carrots and apples.
7. Leave kids at home when you shop. It eliminates arguments over buying things you did not budget for.
8. Do not buy non food items at the grocery store if you can find them cheaper elsewhere. Things like detergent, cleaning supplies, fabric softener will be cheaper purchased at the local dollar store.
9. Plan 1 meatless night a week and buy more economical meats. It is nearly impossible to taste the difference between a pot of chili made with ground round or ground turkey. Choosing the turkey will save you both calories and pennies.
10. Brown bag it to work. The savings add up big here. Take the makings for a fresh salad and toss it together daily. Spinach will keep longer in the refrigerator than iceberg blends. Quick thaw a handful of frozen shrimp. You will wind up spending half what you would if you grab something from the corner deli.
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